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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26544085">dogs and damask</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/boom_goes_the_canon/pseuds/boom_goes_the_canon'>boom_goes_the_canon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Era, Dogs, Established Relationship, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Hijinks &amp; Shenanigans, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:22:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26544085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/boom_goes_the_canon/pseuds/boom_goes_the_canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They’re on a walk in the Luxembourg gardens when Marius spots her. Black damask dress and mantle, white bonnet, and walking a giant white dog on a black ribbon.</p>
<p>“Courfeyrac,” Marius whispers. “Courfeyrac, am I seeing things?”</p>
<p>“A dog!” Courfeyrac says, and ventures forth to meet her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy, Courfeyrac/Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy, Courfeyrac/Marius Pontmercy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>dogs and damask</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Cosette Appreciation Week!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They’re on a walk in the Luxembourg gardens when Marius spots her. Black damask dress and mantle, white bonnet, and walking a giant white dog on a black ribbon.</p>
<p>“Courfeyrac,” Marius whispers. “Courfeyrac, am I seeing things?”</p>
<p>“A dog!” Courfeyrac says, and ventures forth to meet her.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“His name is Chou Chou,” the young woman—Cosette—says, and she lifts the dog up delicately with one hand. Marius stares at her admiringly, and she gives him a polite nod.</p>
<p>“He is absolutely lovely,” Courfeyrac says with absolute sincerity. He pets the dog with both hands, and murmurs enthusiastic endearments. “I am passionately interested in dogs.”</p>
<p>“Since when?” Marius says.</p>
<p>“Since now.” Courfeyrac gives Cosette a winning smile, and she smiles back. Marius makes a noise of absolute distress.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“I haven’t petted a dog in so long,” Courfeyrac says rapturously, as they head back. “Such a beautiful dog.”</p>
<p>Marius looks over his shoulder, where Cosette and her dog still walk. She waves at them as they pass the corner, and he, like a fool, waves back.</p>
<p>“I am in love!” Marius announces, to Courfeyrac, to the street, and to the heavens above.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, you told me that last month, Marius,” Courfeyrac says, patting his hand. “I don’t have nearly as bad a memory as you’re making it out to be.”</p>
<p>“I meant with Cosette.” He sighs. “Ah, Cosette.”</p>
<p>This is going to be a problem.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Cosette bursts into laughter as soon as she’s alone in her room. She collapses on the bed—carefully, since she doesn’t need the extra work of getting out the wrinkles—and gathers Chou Chou in her arms.</p>
<p>“Did you see them? Did you see their faces?” she whispers, running her hands through Chou Chou’s fur, just like Courfeyrac had. “Such silly men!”</p>
<p>Chou Chou barks once, and lays a paw on her hand.</p>
<p>She had, of course, heard the tales of dangerous men ever since she was old enough to remember. But, she thinks, no man could possibly be that bad, if they loved dogs half as much as they professed to. And if anything goes wrong, well, she does have a dog.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Courfeyrac absolutely insists that Marius properly curl his hair for his next walk in the Luxembourg. He cannot let his dear friend go about wooing a girl with patches on his elbows and his cravat all askew.</p>
<p>“You will thank me later,” Courfeyrac declares. The hair curlers do not deserve the glare Marius gives them. “You will be absolutely speechless with gratitude, and you will fall over yourself to thank me.” He pitches his voice at a different register and warbles “‘Oh, Courfeyrac, I should have always taken your advice! You are truly wise! <em>And</em> you have the best taste in fashion!’”</p>
<p>“I do not sound like that,” Marius grouses, but he kisses Courfeyrac before he leaves, and he takes the recommended hat, so he really can’t be that mad.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Cosette is not laughing at Marius. Not at his polished hat, not at his fashionably curled hair, not at the smart knot of his cravat.</p>
<p>She is <em>not</em>. That would be rude.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Cosette and her dog are laughing at him. Marius’ life is a disaster.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Courfeyrac accompanies Marius when he next goes on a walk. Marius has taken to sighing and looking pale around their apartment, and frankly, it was getting quite disturbing.</p>
<p>“You cannot just pine away every time you are in love, Marius. I absolutely forbid it.” Courfeyrac perches Marius’ hat carefully on his head. “Now, come along, and let us see the mademoiselle and her lovely dog.”</p>
<p>Cosette is sitting on a bench with her father when they arrive, and her eyes widen when she spots them. She shakes her head, the slightest bit.</p>
<p>“Alas,” Marius says, and proceeds to brood.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>It is quite a clever plan, if Cosette does say so herself, and she puts it immediately into place. Chou Chou breaks free from his leash. The two young men—Monsieur Marius and Monsiuer Courfeyrac, she must remember—rush to catch him, and they return him as heroes. Her father smiles and bestows blessings upon them, and as for Cosette—well, if her hands brush theirs when exchanging Chou Chou, that is no one’s business but her own.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Perhaps I should write her a letter,” Marius says.</p>
<p>“A short letter,” Courfeyrac advises.</p>
<p>Marius does not often listen to Courfeyrac’s advice.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Ten pages?” Courfeyrac hisses. “<em>Ten</em> pages?!”</p>
<p>“Eleven,” Cosette says, and she looks so very confused. “Chou Chou ate one of them.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Papa,” Cosette whispers, knocking on the door to her father’s room. “Papa, I have something to tell you.”</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>She shuts the door behind her, giving him her best guilty stare. “But you have to promise not to be mad at me.”</p>
<p>“Whatever would I be mad at you about?”</p>
<p>Cosette sighs. “Look, there are these boys…”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Courfeyrac,” Marius whispers in the dark. “What do you think of Cosette?”</p>
<p>“Impeccable taste in dogs and clothes. You two have my blessing.”</p>
<p>Marius shoves him. “You know what I mean.”</p>
<p>“I am serious. She is charming and kind and lovely, and she never mentioned the appalling state of your shoes. You two are practically made for each other.” He turns away. “And as I said, you have my blessing. I do hope I will be your best man, I would be quite offended otherwise.”</p>
<p>“Actually,” Marius says, swallowing. “I was sort of hoping that you would marry her?”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Cosette turns up on their doorstep the next day, her dog and father in tow. She is dressed in black again, flowers woven into her hair. Chou Chou has flowers in his fur too, and a wreath around his neck. Cosette’s father has a posy in his buttonhole.</p>
<p>“We’ve come to talk to you,” Cosette warbles and pushes her way inside.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“And so, Monsieur Leblanc—I mean, Fauchelevent, that is why I would like to ask for your permission, I mean, for your daughter’s hand in marriage,” Courfeyrac says. Marius has never seen him nervous, not really. Not before this.</p>
<p>Monsieur Fauchelevent’s face is unreadable. Cosette seems to be keeping back some intense emotion, although her face is hidden behind her fan. Only Chou Chou is cheerful, wagging his tail and sniffing about the upholstery.</p>
<p>“Cosette,” Monsieur Fauchelevent says finally. “Your opinion?”</p>
<p>Cosette laughs. “I have no intention of marrying him! Or Marius.” She looks them both in the eye. “I thought they could move in with us.”</p>
<p>Courfeyrac blinks. “Or that.”</p>
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